BASEBALL DAILY REPORT : DODGERS : Karros Will Finish School

By the end of September, Eric Karros will be worrying about more than winning the rookie of the year award.

He will be worrying about Chinese history, Russian history, Turkish history and economics. Karros has registered for the fall session at UCLA in hopes of earning 15 credits for his degree.

School begins during the final home stand of the season, so Karros will attend a couple of classes before games.

“The schedule works out fine,” he said.

He will miss a week of school because of the Dodgers’ final trip to Cincinnati and Houston, then return to spend the rest of the fall in the classroom.

Karros said he has tried to finish school the last two seasons, but played winter baseball instead.

“I have spent my whole life going to school. I’ve gotten this close. I might as well finish it,” Karros said.

Mitch Webster has proved he can at least start against left-handers, so it might be premature to forecast that the Dodgers’ top reserve outfielder would agree to return next year and sit on the bench again.

Webster isn’t saying, preferring to let his hitting make the noise.

In his last three starts, he has five hits in 11 at-bats. On the recently completed trip, he has improved his average from .256 to .275, with eight hits in 20 at-bats, including a double, a triple and three runs batted in.

“I feel I could be in there as a platoon player against left-handers, although I’ve been swinging good left-handed, too,” Webster said. “But right now, I’m just trying to help us get out of this rut. If we aren’t winning, I never have any fun no matter what I’m doing.”

The announcement that Jerry Royster will manage the Sun City team in the Arizona developmental league this winter improves his rising stock within the Dodger organization. Royster, who has survived with a poorly stocked team at double-A San Antonio, will take another step toward becoming Bill Russell’s eventual replacement at triple-A Albuquerque. “When you look at Jerry’s progress, he has taken several significant steps, and this is one of them,” said Fred Claire, Dodger vice president. “Now he’ll have a chance to handle triple-A players, the top prospects in baseball. We are very pleased.” . . . Darryl Strawberry’s magnetic resonance imaging exam Wednesday revealed that he still has a herniated disk in his lower back. The Dodgers are undecided about whether he will need surgery.